Although it isn’t the five year deal Jimmy Rollins was hoping for, I’m sure the shortstop is just happy to return to the team for another three years of service. The deal will pay the veteran $33-million over three years with an easily attainable option for a fourth. (The option has been estimated to be $11-million.)
J-Roll was clouding over every splash Amero Jr. made in the free agent market this winter. First he signed Jonathen Papelbon which was huge for the pen and he followed that up with the signings of Lance Nix and Ty Wigginton. With every made and every offer dished out, the bigger and more important issue became bringing Jimmy back home.
The lifelong Phillie has been the leader of this team since his MVP season in 2007 and despite all signs pointing to his career on the back burners; Rollins stepped up in a big way this past postseason. He batted .450 during this Fall’s series with the Cardinals and with an OPS over 1.1 Philadelphia can’t blame him for their lack of success.
The Brewers were the only other competitor for the 33-year-old, but after Rollin’s agent, Dan Lozano canceled a meeting with Milwaukee earlier this week it became apparent that Philadelphia would be his only destination. The former sound rounder was offered his desired five-year deal from the ill-fated Brewers, who just lost Ryan Braun to a performance enhancing drug suspension and Prince Fielder to free-agency, but decided to come back to city he knows best.
The deal seems fair for both parties involved, Rollins didn’t get his five year deal but as long as he stays healthy and keeps his OBP above .300, he will very swiftly be picked up for that fourth season. With Rollins under contract until 2015, his option not only depends on his personal progression, but that of Phillies’ minor league player of the year, shortstop Freddy Galvis.
Although Galvis has proved he has all the potential to be a fundamentally sound shortstop in this league, he hasn’t established himself yet and Amaro Jr liked his chances this season with a former MVP holding down the middle of the infield rather than an unproven rook.
The California native is just another piece of the puzzle for a team who are setting their aspirations no lower than a World Series championship.
Are these aspirations attainable? Sure.
Are they realistic? That’s a whole different question.
The Phillies haven’t lost any big parts to their offense or pitching staff this offseason. With a team who set their sights so high last year, they might as well be expecting the same results. The Big Three atop their rotation are going to pitch great and Papelbon will get a handful of saves, but I don’t think Charlie Manuel’s lineup will be bringing enough to the table for a World Series title.
In a division that the Marlins immediately made a lot more difficult, the Phillies didn’t sign the “big name” like they have in the past. Rollins resigning was a huge morale booster to the club, but without the addition of a big bat this offseason, their biggest problem last fall, expect the Phils to make the playoffs but not nearly as far as fans are hoping for. Another NLDS elimination may be lurking around the corner for this unchanged Philly team.
Missed out on 3B Aramis Ramirez which is not only a big bat but a good 3B as well.. Check out Ramirez’s last 7 Seasons… 1 poor year in 2009 where he batted .240, every other Season was .285-.300 range with 25-30 HR’s and 80-90 RBi’s on bad teams in the Cubs and Pirates.. He was the prize of Free-agency in my opinion and solidified a real need for the Phils for a RH Bat with power,average and a glove to play 3B.. Even if Polanco and stays healthy to play in 140 games this season (a big if) what’s he going to do with that chronic elbow and bad back that he has… Hit 8-12 hr’s knock in 60 RBi’s and bat about .280.. What’s the alternative if Polanco missed substantial time and
even with all of thi ssaid, Polanco is in his final year of his contract and will most likley be a goner after 2012 anyways.. What other 3B are there in the minor league system or in Free-agency next off-season…This position needs to be addressed now and for the future…
A 3B who is a Free-Agent and probably not a bad pick-up would be the Tigers Wilson Betiment, who doesn’t have much power, but a very good glove who can play 3B and 2B in pinch , who is coming off 2 good productive years in 2010 & 2011 with a batting average of almost .290 and about 10 HR’s with 45 RBi’s in a Back-up/Spot Starter/Pinch-Hitter role… He’s 30 Years old and coupd produce what Polanco will for about a 1/3 to 1/2 of the Salary that Polanco receives
Paul, that’s just what we need now, another part time player in Betimet. This team has not changed for the better. Amaro made the bench better. Big f^#@ing woopty do! The same bad, fundamentally flawed, offensive team is still here, minus their only legitimate HR threat. So why should I give a $#!t about another 4 years of Rollins pop-ups, lack of hustle & his ripping of the fans. Amaro missed the boat by not signing Ramirez & Cuddyer. Instead we get beer belly Wigginton, Lance freaking Nix, a 40 year old Thome & 4 more years of J-Rolls BS! Not to mention all the unnecessary $$$, he spent on Papeldouche, instead of Bell.
I am not that big of a fan of Cuddyear and there is no way I would pay him $10 Million per Season like the Rockies did, but I have been saying since the Season ended to make 3B A Ramirez a prioroty signing which of course didn’t happen.. I simply mention Bentiment names who I think will be a better player than Polanco sinec Polanco’s health is such a question ? and with his bad elbow and back, even when he plays, he can only slap at the ball anymore and cannot swing with any authority or power. Polanco batted about .210 since June of last year and it will be difficult to see him getting back to the .280-290 levelwhich his injuries
As far as adding 1 more legitimate everyday OF, rumors are that Orioles Adam Jones is availalbe as he heads into his final season under contract with Orioles and wants out to have a chance to play on a good team, Quention Carlos is availalbe as the entire White Sox Roster is . (Alex Rios). These players are still in their late 20’s and can play at a high-level for a few Seasons (Similar to Hunter Pence)..
3B’s that could be traded for maybe a David Wright from the Mets, P SAndoval from the Giants, Kevin Youkliss from the Red Sox… but it would cost the Phillies some young prospects
A dark horse player would be Martin Prado from the Braves who can play 3B,2B and OF but unlikley the Braves would trade to rival Phils
Reds picked up Starter Mat Latos from Padres for 4 players in return..
They gave up 2 excellent prospects plus Pitcher E Volquez to get him but they Need Pitching
Paul, who would you rather have at what it the cost, Rollins, Wigginton & Papeldouche, or Ramirez, Cuddyer, & Bell? It’s not even close. Ramirez & Cuddyer are good hitters with power, & Bell would have saved alot of $$$ & is just as good as Papeldouche. I love Carlos Quentin, but he is another strikeout machine, & an outfielder, that we don’t really need right now.
There was a rumor a couple of weeks ago of a trade with us & Baltimore with Jones & Victorino involved. So that wouldn’t surprise me. He’s great. In a heartbeat i’d do that.
No doubt, I would prefer the combination of Ramirez,Cuddyer & Bell over who the Phils Picked up.. All I really wanted was 3B Ramirez, a proven and not over the hill LHP Reliever out of the Bullpen and would have re-signed both Madson & Rollins but not at crazy $$$ and then picked up a RH Serviceable OF and the Phils would have been good to go for 2012
I then would have traded Polanco & Blanton (knowing I would have to eat a good portion of their Salaries and get some AA level prospects with upside for middle IF/C/Pitching Prospects and I would have called it a succesful Off-Season
Next Off-Season, Phils will have to fill in for a old IF (3B, possibly 2B, we’ll see how HAwrds bounces back from injury and still will have question mark about LF and still have no young and up and coming Catching Prospect and still need Bullpen Depth
This years moves are putting a band-aid on a team that’s aging with it’s core of best players (outside of Pence) are the wrong side of 30 and their best years behind them.. This 2012 Phils Team reminds me of last years 2011 White Sox Team.. some big names but past their primes and a collectively old and tired team.
wow so much to read through and correct. first of all i will say as i have said before that i would have absolutely gotten Aramis Ramirez to play 3B and traded away Polanco for whatever they could get, which is basically nothing. however, paulman, to say that Ramirez is a “good 3B” is incorrect, he is below average as a fielder. excellent arm, but a below fielder nonetheless.
Dcar, Bell is not even close to the closer than Papelbon is right now. if you said you would have rather waited to see how the market developed for Madsen i agree. but Heath Bell is very average away from Petco, which guess what, he won’t be pitching in Petco anymore.
paulman, Adam Jones is not available, stop saying that he is. you keep bringing him up, yet it has not been said a single time anywhere that i have seen that he is available. in fact, there GM has said 3 times this offseason that he is off limits and not going anywhere. continuing on, carlos quinten is an absolute butcher in the outfield, and the Mets have said they are not trading David Wright, certainly not to the phillies even if they were going to. furthermore, where do you think we are getting these “young prospects” that all of these guys would cost? we don’t have anything the Mets would even consider for Wright, and trading for either quinten or jones (if he were available), would leave our farm system completely barren above A ball.
as far as polanco and blanton being traded, the phillies aren’t going to spend significant money just to trade them, and even if they did they would never agree to eat there whole salary, which is what it would take to get AA prospects with upside.
Go back to sleep hot97x, will you… WHy do you have to spoil everything all the time..
it is what it is. everything i said is 100% true. the phillies are kind of stuck. they depleted their farm system trading for expensive veterans. they no longer have top prospects and they don’t have anyone close to the majors with exception of relievers to infuse youth and energy into this team. their payroll is maxed out and they’re stuck with the core that they have. Aramis Ramirez was literally their only play to significantly change the lineup this year and they didn’t capitalize.
I agree with you Hot97x.. They mortgage everything over the last 2 Off-Season to win in this windoe of 2010-2013 and they have let 2010 & 2011 Slip on by,, They have maybe this Season to do it for we have to face facts.. HAllady and LEe and only going to regress from here.. We can’t expect them to dominate forever.. I think Hamles steps up but not sure about any of the others..I also find it hard to believe the Worley,Stuts,Bastrado will collectively do as well as the did last Season thru August.. Stutes and Bastardo really struggled down the stretch due to being overused and an area the Manager Manuel will abuse, it’s his Pitching Staff…He will go with the Hot Arm until it falls off and doesn’t use his Bullpen properly, never has and never will ..
well the plan going into this year has to be to just roll with what you have. no more trades, period. they cannot afford to trade a single highly rated prospect from this point on. they need to get younger and cheaper by 2015. the yankees even learned that consistently trading prospects for expensive veterans never works, ever, over the long run. the long term plan needs to be develop your own stars, sign a superstar or two in free agency and continually infuse young, hungry talent onto your roster. they had the perfect opportunity to have this core merge with a new young and talented core but they had to trade for every pitcher available instead.
now with that said, i am not as down on this team as many are. they’re lineup has flaws for sure, but they really were only exposed once they rested all these guys and they lost their collective timing. after the all-star break, i believe they scored the most runs in the national league. crazy things can happen in a 5 game series, and the phillies slumped at the wrong time. now i will say, that that has happened each year in the past 2 postseasons. that certainly cannot be overlooked. against good pitching their approach is terrible, and i believe that part of that is bad coaching. they don’t recognize patterns or make adjustments to how guys are pitching them. if the phillies don’t get to or win a world series next year, charlie manual needs to go. Ryne Sandburg is a managerial star just waiting in Lehigh Valley. if they let him go somewhere else Ruben needs to be fired.
I don’t buy the Coaching aspect, these Hitters are 10 year Pro’s and if they can’t adjust or are unwilling to adjust to the pitching their seeing, then shame on the playes..I have stated for 5 years that is Rollins would choke uo, use the other field, maybe close his stance a tad, that he could be a consistent 285-300 Hitter, but he won’t change he is what he is like Howard,Utley,etc,etc..
I was hoping bench Coach Pete Mackanin would get the Red Sox Job so they can promote Sanderg to bench Coah to spend a year or 2 with him, if not, Sanberg will probably be offered a big league Job next year with someone… (Reds,NAtionals,Mets) or someone..
Who was the culprit and guarding Burress on the TD Pass.. I don’t have it on TV down here in NC (they have the Broncos/Pats game on)
I think they need to take care of HAmels before the Season starts or he will test Free-agnecy after the Season, It’s no Secret that he would love to pItch for DOdger/Angels in his hometown of Southern California in good PItchers Parks..
The need to lock him up or his Price will just go higher and higher..
Imagine if Eagles Draft DT M Wilkerson paired with Jenkins,Patterson and Dixon when Healthy.. Eagles would have been set at DT for some time..
Wilkerson can even play some DE for you too…
Where Does The Rollins Resigning Leave The Phils?
Without another solid hitter, one with some power, and with a shot Placido Polanco at 3B.
With another 1st Round exit out of the Playoffs in 2012
This Phillie Team should have won 2-3 WS Championsips over this last 5-6-7 year run and will go down as under-achievers regardless of how many regular season win’s…